What to Wear for Maternity Photos
Your guide to preparing for a beautiful maternity photo session.
You’ve booked your maternity session and now you are wondering what to wear for maternity photos. This should be a really fun time! The last thing you want to do is stress about clothing. You are anticipating the birth of a new life. Your new baby. It’s his or her first photo shoot, and these are pictures you will cherish for the rest of your lives. It is also one of the last times that all of the attention will be on you. We all know, once baby arrives, he or she is the star of the show!
When you are shopping for your maternity gown, you want to remember that you will be a little larger at the time of the photo session. I recommend scheduling maternity photos around weeks 28-34. If this is your first baby, you will want to use the later end of this range. If this is not your first pregnancy, you may want to go with the earlier end of this range. Most women tend to have a beautiful, round baby bump around these weeks. You should be feeling good and comfortable. All of the sickness from early on in your pregnancy has passed, and we want to capture this time before you start slowing down at the end of your pregnancy. I’ve been there. Those last weeks got rough! I started to swell and had to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes. (We want to schedule you before this happens!)
What to Wear for Maternity Photos
I recommend a long maxi dress or gown for maternity photos. Maternity gowns seem to be all the trend right now, but besides being trendy, they truly photograph beautifully. They flatter every woman’s body, add movement to photos, cover just enough, and allow for multiple poses and positions. During my sessions, we walk to different areas and sit or lay down. Gowns are perfect for all of this movement. I especially love them for sitting and laying because they prevent us from showing too much leg. Short dresses pull up so easily, and I feel like we are always adjusting them. Maxi dresses and gowns are also very forgiving to a mommy’s growing body. So if you buy it at 24 weeks, it should still fit by 30. Many maxi dresses are flexible enough that you don’t even have to purchase a maternity size.
Where to Purchase Maternity Gowns
When you book your maternity session, we will discuss clothing and locations. I invite all of my clients to send me pictures of the outfits they are considering. I am always happy to help. You can visit my What to Wear for Maternity Photos guide on Pinterest. It gives you a good idea of the look of the dresses that I think photograph best. Some of my favorite vendors are Pink Blush Maternity, ASOS Maternity, and Free People. You can also find beautiful gowns on Etsy by searching “maternity gowns”. What I like about regular maxi dresses is that you can rewear it for other occasions rather than just wearing it at your maternity photo session. I caution you on cheap gowns on Amazon. (No offense Amazon. I’m a Prime member. I would rather shop there than at a store. But… when it comes to clothing, many “gown” vendors are very cheap quality and fit poorly.)
Dressing Your Spouse and Family
I love a casual look to my pictures. A huge majority of my photo sessions take place in fields where we are basically hiking. You want to be able to move, walk, and sit. If you have children, you want to be able to carry them. When deciding what to wear for maternity photos, you also need to consider clothing for the whole family. Blue jeans and a casual button down shirt are great options for men. For colors, you want to coordinate rather than match. Use your dress as the inspiration piece and base everyone else off of that. I suggest laying all of the option together on a bed for the floor to see how they look side by side. I will even take pictures with my phone of different combinations to see what works best. A well coordinated family photographs beautifully. Your clothing choices for your maternity session can make a huge impact such as this beautiful family’s maternity session. It is one of my all time favorites. Mom used her dress as the inspiration piece and pulled colors from it to dress the rest of the family. The floral crowns were the perfect accessory to pull everything together.
A Few Other Reminders
Although your clothing will probably be your main focus when preparing for your maternity session, there are a few other important things to remember. Have your nails painted one to two days before your session. We will see your hands on your belly a lot, and a well manicured hand will stand out beautifully. Treat yourself to professional hair and makeup. Professionals are great at knowing the right amount of color to stand out in photos. They know how to contour so that you feel your most beautiful. They are great at making sure your hair lasts through the photos too! And last but not least, accessorize. You don’t have to have a huge necklace or tons of jewelry, but a few simple bracelets or an accent necklace will pull everything together. Make sure you visit our Maternity Gallery to get more ideas on what to wear for maternity photos.
I hope these tips help you prepare for your photos a little easier. Remember, this should not be a stressful time. I am always here to help, so feel free to email me anytime with questions.
Nashville TN Newborn Photographers
Shannon Payne Photography is ranked as one of the top Nashville TN Newborn Photographers by Expertise. We have also been ranked as one of the best baby photographers. This is one reason that our newborn sessions are our most in demand sessions. Although our calendar is mainly filled with newborns, we take on a limited number of sessions each month to provide the best service to all of our clients.
Trained by the Best Photographers in the Industry
Each year I devote part of my budget and time to professional development. I think my love for learning comes from my teaching days. As a teacher I was required a certain number of hours each year devoted to professional development. As a photographer I think it is just as important. Workshops and training keep me up to date in the latest trends, skills, technology advances, and more. So far this year I have attended a maternity training in Las Vegas, I have participated in an online training with a highly recognized newborn and family photographer, and will go to a newborn training in September. I truly believe that you can never stop learning.
I love this look for Miss Ella Jo. One blanket and several different looks. Just changing out a headband, baby’s position, and the angle can make a totally different look.
Styled Newborn Portraits
Another thing that makes our newborn sessions so popular is the styling of our sessions. I love layers and textures. I always try to incorporate parts of nature such as wood, flowers, and greenery. This creates a unique look for your newborn pictures. My styling doesn’t stop at your newborn photo session. I style baby sessions all the way up to one year and first birthday photo sessions. You can find out more about our baby milestone photography here.
Family and Sibling Portraits
Two of our most popular newborn packages are our Classic and Deluxe newborn sessions. Both packages include pictures with family and siblings. I love including big brothers and big sisters in newborn sessions. Ella Jo’s big sister’s outfit was the inspiration for this color scheme. I love how their colors coordinate. Planning clothing for big brothers and sisters should be a pretty simple process. I like to keep clothing simple for newborn sessions. Most pictures are waist up, so there is no need to worry about shoes (or even pants, LOL!). You can see our post on our Belly to Baby package to get another example of our Classic Newborn package. This newborn session is included with the package along with the maternity session.
Nashville TN Newborn Photographers
As one of the top Nashville TN Newborn Photographers, I strive to create comfortable environment at my studio for your family. I want children to have fun while they are there for pictures, and I want moms and dads to feel comfortable while their newborn is in my care. I believe that personal reviews are a great way to see if the photographer you are choosing is reputable. You can find reviews for photographers on Google and Facebook. If you can’t find reviews, this should be a red flag. I am very proud of the reviews that former clients have left for me on these sites, and I encourage you to read through them as you decide if we are a good fit. If you have questions or want to know more about my packages, I encourage you to contact me!
Family Photography Nashville TN
Family Photography Nashville TN | Soooooo… there is one good thing about me losing my website this summer. I was WAY behind on blogging. I’m not sure how that happened because I love blogging! I love sharing the pictures from the families I meet. So I am making a mid year’s resolution to blog at least twice a week! Y’all hold me to it!
Summer Sunset Photography
While I’m admitting things, I have one more confession. This session was from last summer. Yep. One year later, I am finally blogging their session. But it is too gorgeous not to share! In one year this sweet family has had a lot of changes. Well, I’m not sure about a lot, but they have had one BIG change. They added a baby brother to the family this summer!
One of my favorite things about this session (besides the family) is their clothing choices. I love how their colors look with the deep green summer grass. I always recommend maxi dresses for sessions. There are so many things about the way a maxi dress photographs. I also recommend choosing one outfit as the inspiration piece for the other outfits. In this case, Amelia’s summer maxi dress was the inspiration. Her mom found it at Old Navy! She then used the colors from that dress to coordinate with the rest of the family. I always suggest coordinating over matching. I don’t want everyone in the family in the same outfit or even the same colors. By coordinating, you look put together but not “cheesy”. For more ideas for dressing your family, I suggest visiting my What to Wear pinboard for families.
Hendersonville TN Family Photography
Amelia. 3 years old. Full of smiles and love. I have been photographing her since she was a newborn, and I love each and every session. Her family is truly the best. They are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. They are genuine, laid back, full of love for each other, and it shows in every one of their pictures.
Family Photography Nashville TN
Family Photography Nashville TNShannon Payne Photography offers a limited number of family sessions each month. Family photo sessions take place at sunset. Why sunset? Because of the lighting. I strive to find light, and you will see it in all of my outdoor sessions. It adds a magical feel to your pictures. Combined with my art of “unposing”, you will have unique photos for your family. Family sessions with SPP don’t involve standing and smiling. We run, explore, twirl, snuggle, tickle, and play. Kids don’t know they are even taking pictures. Dads laugh. And every stress and piece of anxiety that mom had preparing for the session melts away. That’s what makes me tick. You have find out more about our family photography here. Contact me and let’s chat. I’d love to make magic with your family.
Nashville Baby Milestone Photographer
As a Nashville Baby Milestone Photographer, I get to meet new families and babies every week. I have been photographing little Noah since he was in his mommy’s belly. I’ve been photographing his mommy and daddy for years! I remember being so excited when they told me they were expecting. It really is the best getting to watch your client’s families grow.
Noah was a fun little model for his milestone session. This is his 8 month session, so he was sitting and crawling. I had just gotten a new boy outfit in my studio wardrobe, and I was so happy that his mommy chose it. The color looked gorgeous with his skin, and when we put on the hood, it let you focus on those beautiful eyes and round cheeks. I can’t look at these pictures without wanting to squeeze and kiss him!
Hendersonville TN Baby Photography Studio
As a Nashville Baby Milestone Photographer, I keep my studio stocked with props and outfits for babies at every milestone. When parents come in for their baby’s milestone session, they look through all of my outfits and choose their favorites. I love keeping things simple with my wooden floors and adding texture through different layers and fabrics. I also have props that photograph well and keep the focus on baby without adding too much distraction. I always want baby to be the focus on the picture, not the prop or a busy background.
Lifestyle Baby Photography
The newest addition to my Nashville Baby Milestone Photographer studio is my bed setup. I love the clean white color, and the lifestyle feel that it gives. One of my clients asked me how everyone has such a clean bedroom, and this is the secret! The bed is at my studio! And let me tell you, the babies love it! If you have a milestone photo session for your baby coming up, this is an option for you. It is a fun way to add a different look to your session.
Nashville Baby Milestone Photographer
Nashville Baby Milestone PhotographerDo you have a baby? We are booking milestone sessions. We do ask that you wait until baby is 4 months to schedule a milestone session. Before this age, I treat sessions more like a newborn session. Babies younger than 4 months old have such a short wake time, that it is difficult to catch a happy wake time window long enough for pictures. However, by 4 months, babies are awake a little longer and start interacting more. Depending on baby’s age, we will focus on different milestones. Common milestones are tummy time, sitting, pushing up, and standing. We aren’t just limited to milestones. I can also capture your favorite things about your baby. Chunky thighs? We’ll capture those. Long eyelashes? I’ll grab my macro lens? Round cheeks? I’ll stick a hat on to really show them off. There are SO many things we can do at your baby’s milestone photo session. I promise you. This year will fly by faster than you can blink. You will never regret beautiful, quality pictures of your baby.
Hendersonville Newborn Photography Studio
Charlotte visited our Hendersonville Newborn Photography Studio a few months ago for her first photo session. She joins her mommy, daddy, and big brother to make a family of 4. To say they are all in love with her is an understatement. I must say she reminds me a lot of her big brother Ollie! I photographed his newborn session and first year milestones. So I was honored when his parents asked me to photograph his baby sister.
Nashville Newborn Photographer
Charlotte’s parents brought the quilt from her nursery for me to incorporate into her session. I love how we used it in one of my antique crates. It coordinated beautifully with my pink wrap and headband. I just love her little foot sticking out! When clients book a newborn session at my Hendersonville newborn photography studio, I have them complete a planning guide. In this guide, they include special requests such as colors and props that they would like to use. I ask clients what the nursery decor is in this guide. I love colors with the nursery since many of your newborn images will be displayed there.
Styling Your Newborn Photo Session
I used the colors from Charlotte’s nursery as my inspiration for the rest of her newborn session. The soft pink color palette is so pretty and looked beautiful with her skin. I loved how this little sleepy cap showed off her round cheeks. As you can tell, she was the perfect little model and slept right through her session!
Hendersonville Newborn Photography Studio
Are you expecting a baby this fall or winter? Now is the time to book your session. We are already booking babies into February. If you have more questions about the newborn photo session process, please visit our newborn photography page. You can also contact me for our complete list of packages and pricing.
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The pink you used is so pretty on this little angel. I love that you give your parents the opportunity to customize their session to compliment their home or nursery and that you will incorporate special items the family brings in. Older brother leaning in for a kiss is perfect. It is fun to follow your work. ReplyCancel
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[…] One of the questions I ask in the prep guide for your session is nursery colors and decor. I love using the colors in baby’s nursery or even your home as inspiration for pictures and setups. These pictures are going to be displayed in your home and in these rooms. So it only makes sense that the colors look good together. I love this beautiful salmon color that we used for Niki’s custom newborn photography session. You can get so many looks with just a few different accessories. They all blend beautifully with this background. Click here to find out more about our Hendersonville newborn photography studio. […]ReplyCancel
Katie - These tips are PERFECT!! I love how your clients know exactly what to expect and what to follow so you can capture the beautiful images for them. Absolutely stunning work!!!
Krystal Sandefur - I always forget about nails!! Great tips and info for clients. And that’s session is gorgeous Shannon!
Kandi - Such great advise for new mommas! You have covered every detail and left no stone unturned. I love how thorough you are ! Your maternity work is do beautiful …. great job my friend!